Freight-car truck



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet I.

E. CLIFF. FREIGHT GAR TRUCK. No. 553,103. Patented Jan i 1896.

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Witnesses. Inventor.

% Atforney- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. CLIFF.

FREIGHT GAR TRUCK.

No. 553,103. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

-YIIIIIAI Witnesses. Inventor.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

EDIVARD CLIFF, OF NEXVARK, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE R.JOUGHINS, OF BERKLEY, VIRGINIA.

FREIGHT-CAR TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,103, dated January14, 1896.

Application filed October 26, 1895. Serial No. 586,958. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I EDWARD CLIFF, of New ark, in the county of Essex, inthe State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Iniprovements inFreight-Car Trucks, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

. My invention relates to car-trucks, particularly freight-car trucks;and the object is to provide a simple and durable truck that will allowthe wheels and axles, with the axleboxes, to be readily and easilyremoved, and that will also allow the several sides of the pedestals tobe formed of wrought-iron or steel, while the balance or central portionof the side frames are made of cast metal.

To this end my invention consists in the combination, with the wheelsand axles and the axle-boxes, of side frames extending between theaxle-boxes, a removable part or yoke lying on several of the sides ofeach axle-box and secured to the end of the side frame, and a bolsterextending between and secured to the centers of the side frames; and myinvention consists in certain other combinations of parts, hereinafterdescribed, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved freightcar truck. Figs. 9and 3 show a modified form of fastening device for securing theremovable part to the end of the side frame. Figs. i and 5 are side andtop plan views, respectively, of a modified form of the removable part,together with its fastening devices. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of thetruck-frame shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of thebolster, partly in section and taken on line a: of Fig. 6.

Referring specifically to the drawings, A A are the axles and wheels,and A is an axlebox. In Fig. 1 one of the axles and wheels is shown inbroken lines, and its box is removed to show more clearly theconstruction of the pedestal.

B B are the side frames, which are preferably made partly of cast metaland partly of wrought metal, and O is the bolster extending between andconnecting the centers of the side frames together, as hereinafterdescribed. The side frames are substantially I-shaped in cross-section,but are preferably perforated as shown. The upper and lower flanges b bare broader in the center of the beam than at its ends, as shown in Fig.6, and are there provided with ribs or gibs b I) on both the upper andlower sides to retain the bars forming the bolster C The ends of theside beams are made deeper than the central portion to form the innersides of the pedestals. The ends of the beam in Figs. 1 and 2 form theinner side guides for the axle-boxes A. The other three sides of eachpedestal are formed by a rectangular removable part or yoke D of metal,which is secured to the side beam in any suitable manner. In Figs. 1 and6 these parts are secured in place by gibs c and long bolts (3, whichextend through the ends of the yokes lying upon the upper and lowersides of the beam and through the beam 13.

The lower end of the yoke D is simply perforated, but the upper end isrecessed or slotted and provided with a gib d to bear upon one side ofthe head of the bolt 0. This construction allows the removal of the yokefor the purpose of removing the axle-box without entirely removing thebolt 0. In order to remove the yoke it is only necessary to remove thenut from the lower end of the bolt 0 and raise the bolt until its lowerend is above the lower end of the yoke,'when the latter may be removedby drawing the yoke outward from the end of the side frame or beam B. 7v

The inner long side of the yoke D forms the outer guide for theaxle-box. Bearing against the upper portion of the yoke is aspringsocket e for the upper end of 'the spring 6 bearing on the topside of the axlebox. A bolt 6" passes vertically through the spring andthe upper horizontal portion of the yoke. The modification shown inFigs. 2 and 3 consists simply in providing the upper and lower flangesat the ends of the side beam with perforated ears h to receive clips h,which secure the yoke D to the beams. In this case the ends of the yokeare not perforated, as the clips are U-shaped, but the yokes areprovided with gibs i to lie on each side of the clips h, as shown in thedrawings.

- In Figs. at and 5 all the sides'of the pedestal are formed by theremovable yoke D. This pedestal, however, is formed of two movable partswhich are secured together and to the end of the side beam B by shorthorizontal bolts parallel with each other. The sides of the pedestal areintegral with the horizontal upper side, while the lower side, D, isremovable. By removing the bolt a the pod estal will swing outward fromthe end of the side beam on the bolt to. Then, by removing one or bothof the bolts 6/ and a, the axlebox with the axle (not shown in thisfigure) may be removed from and through the bottom of the pedestal. Thisconstruction is, in some respects, superior to the other, as it allowsthe removal of the box without entirely removing the yoke from the sidebeam.

The bolster or cross-beam C of the truck is formed. of three bars, theends of two being connected to the side beams above the same, and theother being connected to the beams below the same. The upper bar isslightly arched or raised in its center above its end portions, thelower bar extending between the lower sides of the beams is straight andhorizontal, while the third or central bar is bent to lie with itscenter in contact with the lower bar and with its ends in contact withthe ends of the upper or arch bar.

In the center of the bolster, between the bars, is a separator formed ofan angular bar f, having its center in contact with the lower side ofthe arch-bar below the centerplate G, and secured thereto by rivets. Theend portions of the bar f extend downward and outward toward the sidesof the truck and are provided with horizontal feet which abut againstthe angle formed in the central bar and are secured thereto, and also tothe lower straight bar, by rivets g g. All of the bars are perforated intheir center to receive the king-bolt. (Not shown.)

It will be observed that the bolster may be formed in this way withoutcastings and with strips of wrought iron or steel.

Side bearings H of any suitable and wellknown form may be secured abovethe ends of the bolster, as indicated in the drawings.

Each end of the bolster O is secured rigidly to the side frame by eightshort bolts passing through the bars of the bolster and the flanges ofthe side frame. Four bolts pass through each flange, as shown.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a freight car truck, the combination with the wheels and axles,and the axle-boxes, of side beams extending between the inner sides ofthe axle-boxes, a removable yoke lying on several of the sides of eachaxle-box and secured to the end of the side beam, means to secure thesaid yoke to the side beam, and a bolster extending between and rigidlysecured to the centers of the side beams, as set forth.

2. In a freight car truck, the combination with the wheels and axles,and the axle-boxes. of side beamsextending between the inner sides ofthe axle-boxes, a removable rectangular yoke on each end of the sidebeams. bolts to secure the yokes to the side beams. and a bolsterextending between and rigidly secured at its ends to the centers of theside beams, as set forth.

, 3. In a freight car truck, the combination with the wheels andaxles,and the axle-boxes. of side beams extending between the inner sides ofthe axle-boxes, a removable rectangular yoke on each end of the sidebeams. gibs on the beams to hold the ends of the yokes, a bolt passingvertically through the ends of each yoke and the end of the beam, and

a bolster extending between and rigidly secured to the centers of theside beams, substantially as described and shown.

4. In a freight car truck, the combination with the wheels and axles,and the axle-boxes. of cast metal side beams extending between the innersides of the axle-boxes, a removable rectangular yoke formed of wroughtmetal on each end of the side beams, gibs on the beams to hold the endsof the yokes, a bolt passing vertically through the ends of each yokeand the end of the beam, and a bolster, extending between and rigidlysecured to the centers of the side beams as set forth.

5. In a freight car truck, the combination with the wheels an d'axles,and the axle-boxes. of side be'ams extending between the inner sides ofthe axle-boxes, a removable rectangular yoke 011 each end of the sidebeams, having a recess in its upper end and gibs to bear upon the sideof the head of a bolt, gibs on the beams to hold the ends of the yokes,a bolt passing vertically through the ends of each yoke and the end ofthe beam, and a bolster extending between and rigidly secured to thecenters of the side beams, substantially as described and shown.

6. In a freight car truck, the combination with wheels and axles, andthe axle-boxes. of side beams extending between the inner sides of theaxle-boxes, a removable yoke lying on several of the sides of eachaxle-box and secured to the end of the side beam, said side beams havinghorizontal flanges on their upper and lower sides, and a bolster formedof a plurality of bars secured at its ends to and extending between thecenter of the side beams, and a series of bolts extending through eachflange of the side beams and one or more bars of the bolster,substantially as described and shown.

7. In a freight car truck, the combination with the wheels and axles,and the axle-boxes, of side beams extending between the inner sides ofthe axle boxes, a removable yoke lying on several of the sides of eachaxle-box and secured to the end of the side beam, said side beams havinghorizontal flanges on their upper and lower sides, and a bolster securedat its ends to and extending between the cen- IIO tors of the sidebeams, said bolster being formed of an upper arch bar, a lower straighthorizontal bar, a central angular bar having its central portion lyingon the upper side of the lower bar and extending with its end portionsupward and lying on the lower sides of the end portions of the said archbar, and a fourth bar lying with its central portion on the lower sideof the center of the arch bar and with its ends bent to lie on the upperside of the said central bar, its ends reaching to and abutting againstthe angles formed in the central bar, said bars being riveted togetherand bolted to the flanges of the side frames, substantially as describedand shown.

8. In a freight car truck, the combination with the wheels and axles,and the axle-boxes, of side beams extending between the inner sides ofthe axleboxes, a removable rectangular yoke on each end of the sidebeams having a recess in its upper end and gibs to bear upon the side ofthe head of a bolt, gibs on the beams to hold the ends of the yokes, abolt passing vertically through the ends of each yoke and the end of thebeam, and a bolster secured at its ends to and extending between thecenters of the side beams, said bolster being formed of an upper archbar, a lower straight horizontal bar, a central angular bar having itscentral portion lying on the upper side of the lower bar and extendingwith its end portions upward and lying on the lower sides of the endportions of the said arch bar, and a fourth bar lying-with its centralportion on the lower side of the center of the arch bar and with itsends bent to lie on the upper side of the said central bar, its endsreaching to and abutting against the angles formed in the central bar,said bars being riveted together and bolted to the flanges of the sideframes, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

EDXVARD CLIFF. [L. s] lVitnesses:

E. L. TODD, WV. 'I'I. GRAHAM.

